20th Air Force
April 1944 to present
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Washington, DC (1944-1945), Harmon Field, Guam (1945-1949), Kadena AFB, Okinawa (1949-1955), Vandenberg AFB, CA (1991-1993), Francis E. Warren AFB, WY (1993-present)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
The 20th Air Force was brought to existence to carry out the strategic bombing of Japan, using the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Past experience proved that strategic assets could occasionally be diverted by field commanders, thence preventing them to be used effectively for their primary mission. The bombing of strategic targets in the Japanese home islands was seen as the primary way to end the war, and it was consequently given top priority by General Henry "Hap" Arnold. The 20th Air Force was divided into two separate bomber commands, each one corresponding to a theatre of operations which was seen as a possible base from which to carry out the bombings: the XX Bomber Command was assigned to China, while the XXI Bomber Command was assigned to the Marianna Islands. Only the former operated Commandos, specifically assigned to supply the B-29 operation from China.
Commandos operated, group unknown:
- Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando: 43-47265
Categories
-
November 1943 to July 1945United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Smoky Hill AAF, KS (1943-1944), Kharagpur, Bengal, India (1944-1945), Sakugawa, Okinawa (1945)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
XX Bomber Command's mission was to carry out the strategic bombing of Japan from bases in China. Its operational arm was the 58th Bombardement Wing (Very Heavy), equipped with the new Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Operating from China meant that all supplies had to be brought in by air via the Himalayan route from India, over the "Hump". Air Transport Command had already been supplying US Armed Forces in China since 1942. However, the logic behind the creation of the 20th Air Force was that its mission was a top priority and none of its resource could be diverted for tactical reasons. Thence, General Henry "Hap" Arnold was decided to give XX Bomber Command control over its own specialized air transport support.
Three Mobile Air Transport Squadrons were organized, each equipped with twenty Commandos. The orders issued in creating these three squadrons required that the best trained maintenance specialist be assigned to them, to ensure top dispatch reliability. These squadrons were to be self-sustaining. They were to be capable of loading men and equipment into the aircraft in 24 hours, and flying where needed. In addition, these units would also haul repair parts to downed B-29s that could be repaired and flown back to base, and return downed B-29 crews who had bailed out and made their way to an airfield. They were to serve as XX Bomber Command's very own private airline.
The following Commandos were operated by XX Bomber Command, but the Air Transport Squadron (Mobile) they were assigned to remains unknown:*
- Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando: 42-61017